As for VLB, it is safest to not specify it.
                          Bigger values are safer than smaller ones.
 
- "idex=serialize"      : do not overlap operations on idex. Please note
-                         that you will have to specify this option for
-                         both the respective primary and secondary channel
-                         to take effect.
-
  "idex=reset"          : reset interface after probe
 
  "ide=doubler"         : probe/support IDE doublers on Amiga
 
                 * (-8, -9, -10) are reserved to ease the hardcoding.
                 */
                static const char *ide_words[] = {
-                       "minus1", "serialize", "minus3", "minus4",
+                       "minus1", "minus2", "minus3", "minus4",
                        "reset", "minus6", "ata66", "minus8", "minus9",
                        "minus10", "four", "qd65xx", "ht6560b", "cmd640_vlb",
                        "dtc2278", "umc8672", "ali14xx", NULL };
                        case -5: /* "reset" */
                                hwif->reset = 1;
                                goto obsolete_option;
-                       case -2: /* "serialize" */
-                               hwif->mate = &ide_hwifs[hw^1];
-                               hwif->mate->mate = hwif;
-                               hwif->serialized = hwif->mate->serialized = 1;
-                               goto obsolete_option;
-
+                       case -2:
                        case -1:
                        case 0:
                        case 1: